MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, Oxford University, August 2021 (expected)Coursework in peacebuilding and statebuilding, surveillance and human rights, and political economy; dissertation on surveillance as foreign aid.
MSc in Computer Science, Oxford University, September 2020
Coursework in machine learning, cybersecurity, quantum algorithms; dissertation on "Domain Generation Algorithms for Censorship Evasion"
Distinction overall and distinction in practical work.
B.S. in Computer Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, 2019
Minors: Chinese; Nuclear Weapons and Strategy
Academic Rank: 2 of 1015, GPA: 3.97
Employment:
Cyberwarfare Officer, United States Air Force (May 2019 - Present) Cadet, United States Air Force (June 2015 - May 2019) Fall/Spring 2018: Wing Information Technology Officer
Highest-ranked cadet for information technology issues.
Commands the Wing Information Services Team and responsible for advising
Wing Commander and ensuring IT support to over 4,000 cadets.
Summer 2018: Cyber Squadron Commander
Led 5 instructors in developing and teaching Cyber 256 course to 32 students. Responsible for developing all-new course infrastructure and content, focusing on operational integration of cyberwarfare into joint warfighting. Course simulated an Air Operations Center and taught students to plan, brief, execute, and debrief offensive cyber operations in small teams.
Fall 2017: Wing Information Technology NCO
Second-highest ranked cadet for information technology issues; responsible for ensuring IT support to over
4,000 cadets.
Summer 2017: Cyber Squadron Superintendent
Led 7 instructors in teaching Cyber 256 course to 80 students.
Responsible for both curriculum and day to day administration of USAFA
summer cyber training. Topics included Linux, programming,
reverse-engineering, binary exploitation, cryptography, steganography,
network and disk forensics, and social engineering.
Fall 2016: Squadron 24 Chief Clerk
Led 26 third-class cadets in administration of Squadron 24 CQ
(Charge of Quarters) Program; responsible for the
safety, security, and daily operations of each Cadet Squadron.
Developed a genetic algorithm to ensure equitable scheduling of cadets.Researcher, QC Ware Corp. (May 2018 - July 2018)
Designed and patented (pending) an embedding caching system for quantum annealing processors.
Created a video demonstrating Cirq integration into the QC Ware
platform by using the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm to solve the Max-Cut and
Combinatorial Auction problems on a quantum simulator. This video was published by Google in their announcement of the Cirq framework to the public.
Malware Researcher, Dynetics Inc. (June 2014 - June 2015)
Reverse-engineered foreign malware used for intellectual property
exfiltration and developed a command and control server for use in
realistic penetration testing with existing malware. Developed
experimental software to explore new methods of static malware analysis
by detecting code similarity.
Awards and Honors:
Rhodes Scholarship (November 2018) -- 1 of 32 selected nationwide
U.S. Patent Pending, Application No. 16/041,693: "Using Caching Techniques to Improve Graph Embedding Performance" (July 2018)
Schwarzman Scholarship (November 2018)
Harry S. Truman Scholarship (May 2018) -- 1 of 59 selected nationwide
Outstanding Cadet in Computer Science and Outstanding Cadet in Engineering (May 2019)
Moore Award for Outstanding Research (December 2018)
Selected as #1 of 1015 cadets due to research improving commercial viability of quantum annealing processing.
Superintendent's List (May 2018)
Recognized for placement on Dean's List, Commandant's List, and Athletic Director's List, demonstrating outstanding performance (top 1/3 to 1/4) in academic, military, and athletic mission elements respectively.
Top Student in five Computer Science courses
Computer Networks, Programming Paradigms, Artificial Intelligence, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, and Operating Systems.
Cyber Gauntlet / CyberStakes Live (November 2017) -- Overall winner
Cyber competition conducted in Las Vegas, NV between cadets/midshipmen
from the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Coast
Guard Academy. Events included network traffic capture/analysis,
forensics, binary reverse engineering, malware analysis, cryptography,
steganography, bypassing tamper-evident packaging, RF triangulation, and
lockpicking.
Stamps Scholar / USAFA Leader-Scholar Program (April 2017)
Selected as 1 of 4 scholars out of 1020 cadets; received $22,000 for technology policy research.
CyberPatriot VII (Spring 2015) -- National Champion and Team Captain; Placed first out of 2185 teams.
Led a team of 6 in a week-long, in-person network security, forensics, and
networking competition, placing first in the nation.
U.S. Presidential Scholar (May 2015)
One of 141 students from the U.S. selected by a Presidential Committee
and the Secretary of Education.
Eagle Scout with four palms (2011) -- earned 41 merit badges out of 21 required for Eagle
Military:
Cadet Master Cyberwarfare Badge
Highest level of cyberwarfare proficiency recognized by USAFA to include instructor and evaluator certification. Technical skills included reverse engineering, binary exploitation, web exploitation, forensics, steganography, and cryptography.
Powered Flight Program - Landing Tab
Basic proficiency in T-53A Mako. Successful completion of takeoff, flight, landing, and radio calls without instructor intervention.
Freefall Parachuting Course
Five freefall solo jumps and two wind tunnel flights, earning Air Force Parachutist Badge.
Expeditionary Survival and Evasion Training
Training included patrol tactics, base defense operations, urban combat, land navigation, wilderness and urban evasion, and wilderness survival.
Research Projects:
Knowledge Assessment and Rating ProgramFull stack system for administering and grading military
knowledge tests. Created to improve the timeliness and accuracy of
graded feedback on knowledge tests; reduced number of grading personnel from ~160
to 1.
Dexter Evolutionary algorithm for impartial, preference-based scheduling for the USAFA Charge of Quarters Program. Created as an independent project.
MalfunctionResearch tool for detecting code similarity in malware. Created
as an employee of Dynetics, Inc to aid in identification of advanced
persistent threat malware.
htolsCyber defense competition software for training high school
cybersecurity teams. Created as an independent project to enable
CyberPatriot mentors and teams to create scored virtual machine images
quickly and easily.
Speaking Engagements:
Educating and Retraining Human Talent to Compete in the Economic Great Game of Space
January 2021, Hosted online by NewSpace New Mexico
AOC 55th Symposium (Electronic Warfare Organization)
November 2018, Washington, DC Electronic Sheepdogs: Teaching the Hacker's Mindset to Everyone
Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium 2016
February 2016, Colorado Springs, CO
Panel: Young Leaders' Perspective on Risk Drivers
ShowMeCon 2015
June 2015, St. Louis, MO
Automated Static Malware Analysis Using Function-level Signatures or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the APT
CBS Sunday Morning
26 April 2015
"Strengthening the Nation's Defense Against Hackers"
BSides Huntsville 2015
February 2015, Huntsville, AL
So Easy a High Schooler Could Do It: Static Malware Analysis Using Function-level Signatures
Space and Missile Defense Symposium
August 2014, Huntsville, AL
Developing the Future Cyber Workforce - A Collaborative Approach
ISACA Huntsville Chapter
July 2014, Huntsville, AL
Topic: Applying cybersecurity frameworks to practical defense
NPR: All Things Considered
11 November 2013
"Army Looks to Schools to Find the Next Cyberwarriors"
AOC 50th Symposium
October 2013, Washington, DC
Developing Future Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Warriors
Service Activities:
Vaccination Volunteer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (2021)
Trained in vaccine administration, storage, and transport in order to support the largest vaccination campaign in the history of the United Kingdom.
IT Officer and Committee Member, Oxford University Strategic Studies Group (June 2020 - May 2021)
CyberPatriot Technical Mentor (2015 - 2019)
I provide technical guidance and instruction to high school
cybersecurity teams, both in-person and remotely. Topics include use of
the command-line, Linux and Windows system administration, programming,
network architecture, Cisco IOS, and forensics.
USAFA Personal Ethics and Education Representative or PEER (Aug 2017 - May 2019)
PEERs provide education, outreach, listening, and referral
services to cadets who are facing troubling issues such as stress,
anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, grief,
relationship issues, human relations, and sexual assault.